Join us for a day of discussion, an update on our 2018 legislative agenda, and exchanging ideas with your representatives in Olympia! Our annual Lobby Day is an fun opportunity to come together with other progressive activists, learn about what legislation is on the table this year, and then chat with your State Senators and Representatives about what matters most to YOU. This is one of the best ways to make a difference during legislative session, when your representatives need to hear from you the most.

Our Lobby Day will take place on Monday, February 19th (President’s Day). The initial program will run from 9am to 1pm and we will be meeting at the Washington State Labor Council AFL-CIO office 906 Columbia St. SW Olympia, WA, which is just a couple of blocks north of the Capitol Campus. After 1pm, we’ll head over to the capitol to talk to our lawmakers! Estimated end time is 4pm.

If you’re interested in joining us for this day of civic action, please register below. We will follow up with you in the coming weeks with a more detailed agenda and your lunch options for the day. We will also facilitate transportation for those who need help getting to and from Olympia. If you have any immediate questions, please email natalia@kcdems.org and click here to register now!

Our very own Tech Chair, Mr. Jon Culver, has re-launched the Filepalooza website to help you (yes, you!) file and run for office in 2018.

Do you want to run for local office but don’t know where to start? Plug your address into the Filepalooza site and it will show you all open seats in your area, from Precinct Committee Officer (a community liaison who helps their neighbors register to vote) all the way up to Federal races. You’ll also see a handy list of the filing fees associated with each office, can see who else is running, and sign up to receive reminders of upcoming deadlines.

Too many local races go uncontested, and that’s not Democratic at all. We want to fill every open seat with a progressive Democrat in 2018, and we need YOU to help us get there. Remember, Democracy is not a spectator sport!

Wow, what a whirlwind that was! Over 150 progressive activists, candidates and elected officials joined us in celebration of our all of our hard work this year. With delicious food and drinks provided by Keyz to the Kitchen catering, and so much good cheer to spread around, the Holiday Party was a huge success.

We are all humbled to have such great friends and supporters. Thanks for celebrating with us, and here’s to a successful 2018! Onward!

Please join King County Democrats and special guests for our 2017 holiday party. We will come together to celebrate our accomplishments from the past year, recognize leaders who have made a difference, and lay the foundation for our 2018 success.

We’ll have delicious food courtesy of Keyz to the Kitchen Catering, featured cocktails, and music, all made better by an incredible view of Seattle from the rooftop of Luma Condos. Purchase your tickets here.

Winter is here, and we know that this can be an especially hard time of year for families that are down on their luck. Help King County Democrats as we raise a collection of hats, scarves, coats, mittens, socks and sweaters for those in need.

Bring your gently used and new items to the King County Democrats office in Auburn (email natalia@kcdems.org to schedule drop-off time), or bring them to our monthly board meeting on Tuesday, November 28 at the Teamsters Hall in Tukwila from 6-8pm.

Our collection will benefit the Seattle Gospel Mission, which helps to clothe those in need all across King County. Let’s help them make a difference this winter!

]]>King County Democrats is seeking candidates for a Research Internship!https://www.kcdems.org/2017/09/king-county-democrats-is-seeking-candidates-for-a-research-internship/
Wed, 27 Sep 2017 21:07:57 +0000https://www.kcdems.org/?p=8306

Who We Are:

The King County Democrats is an organization that consists of thousands of voters, volunteers, and donors who are committed to getting progressive candidates elected to local offices all across King County. We are a democratically run organization with elected Leadership including our Chair, Vice Chairs, and Committee Chairs, and are made strong by our leaders and Precinct Committee Officers from the 17 Legislative Districts that exist within King County.

Our mission is to advance progressive policy and strengthen the Democratic bench in King County through grassroots activism, Get Out The Vote efforts, and empowerment of our base. We are currently seeking a qualified candidate to help us do this essential work through a 6-month unpaid internship.

Description:

The Research Intern will have the convenience of being able to work remotely on research projects on an as needed basis. They will be expected to complete 8-10 hours of work per week. They may occasionally be asked to attend meetings to present information to various committees. Optional attendance at community events, parties and fundraisers will be offered as an opportunity to network with other progressive activists/leaders.

The Research Intern will report directly to the Executive Director of the King County Democrats, and may be asked to report to individual committee chairs on an as-needed basis.

This is an excellent opportunity to gain experience with local community leaders, activists, candidates, and party officials. The Intern will gain invaluable inside experience working within the democratic system and will have opportunities to build relationships with Democratic leaders. They will also build upon existing professional skills like communication, project management, and working within a team setting.

Qualifications:

Current membership or previous volunteer experience with a progressive organization or political group

Attention to detail and experience conducting high quality, thorough research

Excellent verbal and written communication skills are essential to this position – because this position allows the intern the flexibility to work from home on their own time, the candidate must be extremely fastidious about responding to emails in a timely manner and be open to being managed remotely

Some experience with the verbiage and knowledge of the basic building blocks of local political and governmental systems preferred

Women, gender non-binary folks, and people of color are strongly urged to apply

ABOUT US

The King County Democrats support candidates and legislation impacting King County that results in good jobs, social justice, and environmental conservation. We are the 13th largest county in the United States with over 2.1 million residents. Our focus is to help elect Democrats in every corner of the county. As the largest and most Democratic county in the state we strive to develop concepts and tools which can be leveraged throughout the state. We work to train and launch activists, elect Democrats and support the party agenda.

THE JOB

The Executive Director will serve as a full time administrator for the party and will support the elected party chair in all party functions. These include fundraising, grassroots organizing, coalition building, candidate recruitment, candidate support, communications, advocacy, training and any other activities that promote the county party at the local, county, regional and state level and foster a strong, sustainable organization. This position is a highly visible position and will have a lot of interaction with party leaders, elected officials, donors and partner organizations.

Administrative and Communications Oversight (25%)

Assist in scheduling events, maintaining team calendars and responding to event inquiries

Assist in directing accounts payable and receivables to the correct team members

Oversee volunteers who are providing office support

Ensure materials are prepared and presented at monthly board meeting

Prepare and send a weekly email blast

Prepare and post daily social media updates/events/news

Monitor and track appropriate expenditures

Answer general public / member inquiries via phone and email

Support legislative district organizations as needed

Act as focal for speakers on monthly agenda. This will include fielding requests for time as well as contacting potential speakers as requested by the chair

Coordinate with other party organizations in Washington including the state party, LD organizations in King County, and other local organizations throughout the state

Oversee internship program

Miscellaneous duties as needed

Fundraising (25%)

In coordination with the appropriate team members track incoming donations

Research donors and create lists of potential donors

Contact new and recurring donors to build and cultivate the relationship

Recruit new members and develop retention strategies for current members

Advocacy (5%)

Organize a once a year lobby day for activists to go to Olympia to meet with legislators

Contact legislators and elected officials on behalf of the organization to state our position on issues

Candidate Recruitment and Support (10%)

Identify candidates to run for targeted offices

Connect candidates with resources, trainings and opportunities to benefit them

Assist candidates in early phases of setting up their campaigns

Target races where candidates should be identified for future races and cycles

QUALIFICATIONS AND EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS

Previous experience within a political party organization, organizing, legislative affairs, campaign or political experience is helpful. Experience running a nonprofit or political organization extremely helpful. Any combination of experience, education and skills that will help you complete the job successfully will be considered.

The March meeting of the KCDCC Executive Board will again be at our new meeting location at the Teamsters Hall 14675 Interurban Ave S, Tukwila 98168. The meeting space is on the south side of the building on the ground floor.

]]>Sign up for King County Lobby Day in Olympia, February 20https://www.kcdems.org/2017/01/sign-up-for-king-county-lobby-day-in-olympia-february-20/
Wed, 25 Jan 2017 04:38:14 +0000https://www.kcdems.org/?p=6755

Our Lobby Day in Olympia is a success because of who comes–our favorite issue experts, our legislators and you. If you’ve never visited, this will be an eye-opening experience. This year’s Lobby Day will be February 20.

The sign up page is here.
Registration is $20 an includes a full information packet on legislators and our priority bills, and a box lunch. The deadline to sign up is noon, Friday, February 17th so we can arrange box lunches, name tags and packets.

Last week, the Metropolitan King County Council voted to appoint Representative Patty Kuderer to take the place of Lt. Governor Cyrus Habib in the Washington State Senate, representing the 48thth Legislative District (which spans Redmond, Bellevue, Kirkland, Clyde Hill, Yarrow Point, Hunts Point and Medina). Representative Kuderer then vacated her seat in the House of Representatives. The Metropolitan King County Council immediately voted to appoint Bellevue City Councilmember Vandana Slatter to finish the term vacated by Representative Kuderer.

King County Democratic Chair Bailey Stober issued the following statement in response to the Council’s vote.

“I am excited to congratulate Senator Kuderer and Representative Vandana Slatter. Both are high quality elected officials who already have a track record of delivering results for the constituents in the 48th District. I am excited that Senator Kuderer will be able to continue to work on issues that are important to our democratic values. I am thrilled that Representative Slatter will be joining the King County delegation in Olympia, she will truly be a rising star in our party.”

]]>King County Democrats congratulate Rebecca Saldaña on being appointed to the Washington State Senatehttps://www.kcdems.org/2016/12/king-county-democrats-congratulate-rebecca-saldana-on-being-appointed-to-the-washington-state-senate/
Tue, 13 Dec 2016 02:01:23 +0000https://www.kcdems.org/?p=6672

Today, the Metropolitan King County Council voted to appoint Rebecca Saldaña to take the place of Pramila Jayapal in the Washington State Senate, representing the 37th Legislative District (which spans Beacon Hill, Central District, Rainer Valley, Columbia City, Rainier Beach, and part of Renton).

King County Democratic Chair Bailey Stober issued the following statement in response to the Council’s vote.

“We sent three highly qualified candidates to the King County Council and they had a difficult choice to make. I want to thank Rory O’Sullivan, Rebecca Saldaña, and Shasti Conrad for their participation in this nomination and appointment process. On behalf of the King County Democrats, I extend our warmest congratulations to Rebecca Saldaña on her appointment to the Senate. Senator Saldaña will bring a much needed voice and perspective to the Senate and the Senate Democratic caucus. I am confident she will serve her constituents in the 37th District and our party well.”

After monitoring the weather situation and consulting with the LD Chair, I am convinced we would create an unsafe situation for our members by asking them to come to a meeting tonight. While winter weather isn’t predicted until 8pm – given the likelihood that we have to conduct back to back nominations for the Senate and House it would be likely we’re still meeting at 8, 9 or even later. I am consulting with our rules expert to see how soon we can reschedule this very important meeting.